Figure 1 The breakthrough Betterfrost technology leverages pulsed power and high-density power modules to melt ice on automobile glass in less than 60 seconds while using 20x less energy.
Traditional approaches to defrosting icy windshields channel ample waste heat generated by internal combustion engines to the windshield. This inefficiently distributes heat unevenly across the windshield surface. Electric Vehicles (EVs), in particular, need to re-think their approach to de-icing measures since traditional HVAC methods of windshield defrosting are inefficient and ineffective as freezing temperatures can also ice over windshields quickly while on the road, dangerously obscuring visibility. Vicor customer, Betterfrost Technology, has developed breakthrough technologies to solve the defrosting problem. Using proprietary algorithms and high-density power conversion modules to deliver pulsed power, car and truck windows can be defrosted in 60 seconds using 20x less energy than existing HVAC defrost systems.
More importantly, as passenger cars and commercial trucks transition to electric powertrains, the “free” heat byproduct disappears, leaving EVs to draw energy from the main battery to defrost and defog – depleting the power that also provides propulsion.
Betterfrost technologies short-circuit conventional defrost methods
Ice doesn’t need be completely melted to be removed from the windshield; it’s enough to weaken the bond between ice and glass at the “interfacial layer.”
To do this, Betterfrost sends short, controlled pulses of power through the glass surface, which creates a thin quasi-liquid layer beneath the ice that causes it to release instantly from the windshield without heating the entire surface.
Compact, high-density converter modules deliver precision 48V power to the glass
A critical piece of the Betterfrost solution is a 48V-centric power delivery network. For this they rely on power-dense, automotive-qualified 800V and 400V-to-48V fixed-ratio Vicor BCM® bus converters to deliver safe and efficient high-speed pulses to glass surfaces.
Figure 2 The Vicor BCM functions as a DC-DC transformer. A fixed-ratio converter reacts to power changes at a rate of 80 A/s. Betterfrost uses pulsed energy to melt a very thin interfacial ice layer in less than a minute (its record is 42 seconds) compared to 25 minutes for traditional HVAC systems. This technology uses a proprietary algorithm to melt the ice in uniform manner and while consuming 20x less energy than the legacy approach.
The Vicor BCM6135 delivers industry-leading power density of at 3.4kW/in3 and functions as a DC-DC transformer, where the voltage applied to the high-voltage input is transformed to the low-voltage side according to the module’s conversion ratio, or K factor. For example, with a K of 1/16 and an 800V input, the output voltage is 50V.
Vicor BCM modules meet strict creepage and clearance standards in a compact footprint that is up to 90% smaller than conventional DC-DC converters.
“Vicor makes 48V power delivery easy to derive without excessive size or weight limitations,” said Betterfrost CEO and automotive industry veteran, Derrick Redding. “Nobody else does what they do at that level of efficiency and power density.”
Tailwinds projected for the road ahead
Betterfrost is actively engaging automakers, Tier 1 suppliers and fleet operators, with early adopters in commercial trucks and premium EVs. Over the next three to five years, the company expects to expand automotive deployment in EV and hybrid platforms. From a laboratory insight to an automotive disruptor, Betterfrost is building out its ecosystem with partners like Vicor to redefine how vehicles handle one of winter’s most common and hazardous problems.
Vicor and BCM® are registered trademarks of Vicor Corporation.